Depardieu drink driving trial postponed

The appeal trial of French actor Gerard Depardieu, who in June was fined in absentia for drink driving after repeatedly failing to turn up to court, has been postponed after he was once again a no-show.

The 64-year-old star, who made headlines earlier this year with erratic behaviour and a tax feud with French authorities, was arrested in November 2012 after falling off his scooter while more than three times over the legal alcohol limit.

He was summoned to court but hearings kept being postponed after he failed to show up.

The actor was eventually sentenced in absentia in June, fined 4,000 euros ($A5,995) and had his licence suspended for six months.

He appealed the verdict, but failed to turn up for Tuesday's appeal hearing, forcing the judge to postpone the trial to April 8.

"I think he's currently filming in the south of Italy, in Lecce," Depardieu's lawyer Eric Caumont told reporters, adding that he had also asked for more time to work on some parts of the case.

"It's also clear that the judge said that he would like Gerard Depardieu to be present at the next hearing."

The judge himself appeared resigned to the no-show, ordering the actor to be "available" next time.

"I think filming can stop for 24 hours, all you need to do is anticipate it," he said, scowling but with a smile on his lips.

Caumont explained that the actor - who in theory risks up to two years in prison - was "completely pressed for time", with work obligations in Kazakhstan and Russia among others.

"Since this case started a year ago, he has always wanted to be here but, unfortunately, he has never been able to be here."

Hailed as one of the greatest actors of his generation, Depardieu starred in films including Green Card, Cyrano de Bergerac and the Asterix & Obelix series.

But in recent years he has become as famed for his off-screen behaviour as for his acting talents.

The star announced in November last year that he was moving abroad after President Francois Hollande's Socialist government sought to impose a 75 per cent tax rate on annual incomes over one million euros.

He took up residency in Belgium and was granted Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin. The decision sparked controversy, as have his friendships with Putin and Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

In August, he said the controversy over his quitting France was "a big misunderstanding" and that he loved his country.